This is our new car seat cover, I took apart the original one to make the new one. Instead of creating a pattern (which would have been pretty easy) I just sewed the new fabric over the original pieces and then sewed them all back together. I wish I would have taken pictures as I went, but being pregnant I’ve been absent minded about that sort of stuff.
Here is what the original fabric on the cover looked like. See it’s not very pretty, modern, or even girly for our baby girl due July 14th.
Let me know what you think of the new car seat cover, I would love to know what you think.
Update: Just to let those of you who think that this car seat is an old one, it isn’t. Evenflo makes car seats for low income people and donates them to places that gets them to the people who need them, like me. I’m assuming they use fabric from old styles that they no longer sell. My car seat was made in March of this year, so it is not an old one. Many people have left me comments saying that now the car seat isn’t flame retardant and that I’ve voided my warranty. Because of this, I am going to order a new cover, costing me money, but they will probably just send me another of the same old blue fabric for my little girl. Considering that the doctor is just down the street (a walk away), we wont exactly be in the car very often, and this car seat will be used with a stroller base to get around. Please stop leaving the nasty comments (making me an about to be first time mother very upset), I understand what you are all saying.
stephanie renée 
19 comments
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November 6, 2008 at 12.32 pm
Ashley
I think the final product turned out lovely! I am in the process of making one and hope mine turns out that well. However, in order to avoid the issues that have already been pointed out, I am making a slip-on style, which will just go over the original cover. They sell ones like that at many stores i.e. Target, and on ebay. The nice thing about that style is that if it gets dirty and needs to be washed, you just remove the pretty cover and are still left with the original cover until the nice one gets washed. Good luck!
July 26, 2008 at 6.38 am
Elizabeth
Your cover is gorgeous! You are not going to be in an accident where a thin layer of fabric is going to interfere with the safety of your child, so don’t worry.
Huge kudos to you for covering the toxic flame retardant material! “These flame retardants, known as PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), are commonly added to consumer and household products such as furniture foams, textiles, and consumer electronics. Studies on laboratory animals have shown that PBDEs can impair memory and learning, alter behavior, delay sexual development, and disturb thyroid hormone levels, among other toxic effects. PBDEs are structurally similar to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a now-banned class of chemicals that have been linked with a host of developmental delays and other health effects in children and wildlife.”
Also, your baby isn’t flame retardent, so if the flames are engulfing your carseat the last thing I would worry about is what kind of fabric she is sitting in!
Enjoy your new baby – you are going to be a great mom.
July 21, 2008 at 8.03 am
Tracey
I also agree with #9 KDK. Some of the people who posted such rude comments should read the whole blog about how the cover was made before making such harsh comments! I too think one thin layer of fabric will not make a difference. I love the cover-very trendy and much better than the blue!
July 17, 2008 at 6.08 am
Laura
Geez some people can be very Harsh! I love the car seat it is beautiful! You can not go through life worrying about what others say! Do want you like and do not worry about what could happen. Just take the informatio that everyone has given you either act on it or accept it. Enjoy the “NOW” and life!
July 16, 2008 at 6.22 am
Meg Lyons
Your car seat cover is a very cute idea! Being a grandma and having been around for awhile I would like to second the comments made by #9 KDK.
July 15, 2008 at 4.47 pm
Baby in the Belly « stephanie renée
[…] thing, so before I posted my Car Seat Cover post my site only had about 300 views total. After that post and all of the comments and what not […]
July 8, 2008 at 10.41 am
wendy
Sorry people have been so rude to you! And I’m VERY sorry you found out after all that hard work that it it’s against the “rules” to put a cover on a carseat. 😦 I sew, so I KNOW how much work it was to take that darn thing apart, etc. I personally don’t think it’s very unsafe to have 1 thin piece of quilting type fabric on top. Your baby is going to be wearing clothes afterall, what’s the difference? I think it’s great your hospital gives away free carseats. The hospital here used to apparently, but doesn’t anymore. 😦
I also wanted to mention another product used w/ carseats that isn’t safe. Everyone gets them at baby showers. They’re the padded head supports that have a pad that go under the baby and have padded rolls that support the baby’s head. Please don’t used them in the carseat, use them in the swing and stroller, that’s fine. The padding makes them dangerous. Instead, roll up 2 receiving blankets or prefold diapers to place on either side of the baby after she’s buckled in, more if needed. Or, since you’re crafty, you could make up some cute rolls yourself w/ stuffing inside. As long as there’s no pad under the baby or interfering w/ the straps, it’s safe. I used these w/ my oldest child b/c I didn’t know better. I did a lot of stuff w/ him I didn’t know wasn’t safe, like thick snowsuits in the winter and all kinds of things. Since padding can compress in an accident, making the straps too loose, it’s best to just put a hat and long sleeves/pants on the baby and cover her w/ blankets or one of those shower cap style carseat covers (I made on myself VERY easily out of fleece.) I hope none of this is annoying you, I just know how much I didn’t know with my first and hate to see someone make the same mistakes. There’s just SO much to learn when you become a parent, no one can know it all right away!
July 8, 2008 at 5.21 am
Book Mama
I’m so glad to hear that your seat isn’t expired or recalled. Good luck with your little girl!
Regards,
BookMama
July 7, 2008 at 3.50 pm
Elizabeth
Sorry that people can be so rude when trying to get a point across about car seat safety. It is important, I agree with what was said, but there are plenty of nicer ways it can be stated. Best of luck to you and your baby girl. You are quite creative and talented.
July 7, 2008 at 1.49 pm
Nikki
Very cute, but dangerous and against manufacturer’s guidelines. Even a very thin extra layer can affect the way the fabric and pad underneath compress in an accident, very possibly risking your baby’s life.
July 7, 2008 at 1.17 pm
KDK
As a former first responder, and expectant mother, here are a few things to re-assure you.
First: The number of car fire accidents that occur today versus 15 years ago are miniscule in number. Gone are the days of exploding gas tanks etc. You are far more likely to have a rollover accident than a car fire. And if the vehicle is engulfed entirely in flames, your baby’s clothes will catch on fire before the cover does. And if your car seats are fabric, they are already fire resistant. But more importantly, the warranty is for evenflo’s protection not yours. If you don’t plan on suing them, it’s not a concern.
Second: ONE layer of fabric around the outside of the cover will not have a lasting effect on the safety of the seat itself. Far more important is having the seat installed properly. Racheting the seatbelt, proper base installation etc.
Third: to the commenters that ungraciously have advised to buy a new seat with such a level of incredulity about the disregard for safety, you should perhaps think carefully about what you’re saying to someone who is pregnant and vulnerable. Even if you say the same thing, but phrase it differently, you could achieve the same message but without such a tone of scorn and disapproval.
If you’re parents already, you should either have this skill, or at least work on developing it.
July 7, 2008 at 6.02 am
CPST
The cover is not safe to use especially on an old car seat. Buy your new baby a new car seat.
July 7, 2008 at 12.41 am
L'smama
I think it was a dangerous idea – very unsafe.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=51032
http://www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=5
Why dont you just suck it up and buy a new carseat to keep that baby safe??? There are LOTS of cute carseats out there.
July 6, 2008 at 8.22 pm
lyn
It is pretty, too bad covering a flame retardant manufacturer’s carseat cover voids the warranty and puts the baby’s life in danger should it contact any open flame. Beautiful fabric though!
July 6, 2008 at 8.32 am
BookMama
I stumbled across your blog because of the car seat topic. That’s a very resourceful way to re-use a cover! (And your cloth diapers are adorable! 🙂 )
As a child passenger safety technician, though, there are a couple of things that concern me.
First, is the fabric you use flame retardant? If not, it will ignite quickly and burn quickly in the event of a vehicle fire. I don’t mean to scare you, but that’s why it’s best to use only the cover that comes with a car seat.
Second, I wonder how old your infant seat is, because car seats expire (Evenflo after 6 years). That blue cover is the one that was on my son’s infant seat, and it was manufactured in 1999.
Third, ALL models of the Discovery made before February of this year have been recalled. You can learn more about the recall here. http://safety.evenflo.com/cs/sc/cssc99_RD.phtml?rid=EFR20&src=WEB
Please feel free to visit my blog to learn more about car seat safety. And best wishes to you and your impending new arrival!
Best regards,
BookMama, CPST
July 6, 2008 at 7.45 am
Brilliantmama
That is beautiful, but I am concerned that the seat may be expired. Also car seat covers must be treated with flame retardant, and your new cover likely is not.
check out this article http://babyproducts.about.com/b/2006/01/27/should-i-buy-a-used-car-seat-for-my-baby.htm
and Car-seat.org.
Best of luck for the arrival of your little one!
July 5, 2008 at 10.54 pm
Judi
You just voided the warranty on your car seat. I hope nothing bad happens. Cute though.
July 5, 2008 at 9.54 pm
Kat
It’s cute, but it’s against safety rules and against Evenflo’s rules.
It will violate your warrenty for your carseat and is not safe to use as it is not flame retardent, may interfere with the straps, and could even compress in a crash, depending on how you made it.
But the rule is clear in the manual of the carseat when it states that you may not use any aftermarket or add-on products not made by evenflo.
July 5, 2008 at 5.38 am
annaboo2006
I love it! What a great idea!!!